New CNN Boss Chris Licht Pens Letter to Network Team: ‘We Will Double Down on What’s Working, and Quickly Eliminate What’s Not’

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Chris Licht was officially named as the next chairman of CNN on Monday and he penned a letter offering some details about the network’s future under his leadership.

CNN media reporter Brian Stelter highlighted the announcement in the morning, writing, “Discovery CEO David Zaslav announces that ‘we plan to appoint Chris Licht as the new Chairman and CEO of CNN Global.’”

“Licht will start May 1, once the Discovery-WarnerMedia deal takes effect,” Stelter reported.

It’s official: Discovery CEO David Zaslav announces that “we plan to appoint Chris Licht as the new Chairman and CEO of CNN Global.” Licht will start May 1, once the Discovery-WarnerMedia deal takes effect.

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 28, 2022

Licht, a veteran television producer credited with making shows like Morning Joe successful, will leave his role as the executive producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in order to succeed Jeff Zucker.

Licht will take over CNN at a moment when the embattled network is rising again in the ratings, driven by breaking news coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While not going into specifics about changes at the network, Licht hinted at an overhaul in his letter to staff on Monday.

“Our viewers demand the truth from us, and I want to learn the truth from you. Together, we will double-down on what’s working well and quickly eliminate what’s not,” Licht wrote.

Axios’ Mike Allen reported over the weekend that under Licht CNN is likely to move more toward the center and away from opinion news.

“Under new chief Chris Licht, CNN will dial down the prime-time partisanship and double down on the network’s news-gathering muscle, top sources tell me,” wrote Allen.

Licht appeared to echo that sentiment in his letter Monday, writing, “The honest answer is that I don’t know yet. David Zaslav has given me one simple directive: To ensure that CNN remains the global leader in NEWS as part of Warner Bros. Discovery.”

Read Licht’s full letter to CNN staff below:

To my future colleagues:

The team at Warner Media has been kind enough to allow me to send this brief note.

First, I want to say how honored and excited I am about the plan for me to join the CNN team. I’ve watched in awe how you are covering the still-unfolding Ukraine story. It’s a great example of the power and impact of CNN. It also is proof that you know how to excel at your work during times of crisis.

Under normal circumstances, I would join you in person to introduce myself. However, Discovery has not yet combined with Warner Media and I still work for CBS. The current plan is for me to wind down at CBS in a couple of weeks and then join you at Hudson Yards in May, assuming the formal merger is complete.

In the meantime, I plan to do a lot of listening. I am familiar with CNN as a viewer, a journalist, a competitor and the husband of a former CNN staffer. As many of you know, my wife, Jenny, spent more than a decade in a variety of roles at the network. I understand many of the daily challenges you face. My commitment is to foster an environment in which everyone can do their best work and feel supported.
I look forward to getting to know all of you and hearing your candid thoughts and feedback. Our viewers demand the truth from us, and I want to learn the truth from you. Together, we will double-down on what’s working well and quickly eliminate what’s not.

I know you have a lot of questions. Perhaps the biggest one is how will CNN change? The honest answer is that I don’t know yet. David Zaslav has given me one simple directive: To ensure that CNN remains the global leader in NEWS as part of Warner Bros. Discovery.

I am a journalist at heart. While I have enjoyed every minute at “The Late Show,” I am joining CNN because I feel a genuine pull to return to news at such a critical moment in history. CNN is uniquely positioned to be a beacon of meaningful, impactful journalism for the world. I am committed to upholding and building on CNN’s legacy.

I am incredibly excited to work with all of you.

See you in May.

Chris